On a recent trip, a friend stayed at a large hotel chain in a metro area. Her stays at this hotel chain have always been good, so she was confident in her choice.

So it surprised her when the little things bothered her. Like the bathroom door – if the toilet lid was down, the door didn’t clear the seat. Odd. Even more odd was the wasted space right outside the bathroom – a huge closet that opened on both sides. Unnecessary given the tight quarters in the bathroom. The amenities she was used to were there, but the breakfast times were odd. She had to be up at 7 to make it to breakfast before 8:30. On a Sunday.

It’s not that the service was awful or the rooms were dirty, but those few things wrong planted the idea that the hotel’s stellar record of consistently good service was now not stellar. And worse, she’d never complain to the management because, as she said, she’d sound too picky to be complaining about the silly little details.

But your guests notice these overlooked areas. Too often hotels skimp on details that guests come to expect. Clean rooms, for example, are primary – if your hotel staff have no accountability for how the guest rooms are presented and received, you’ll be fighting an uphill battle to maintain consistency in appearance.

If you don’t have ways to measure your guests’ experiences in your establishment, adopt one now. A simple response card placed in all rooms can give you exceptional insight into your hotel business operations. Make sure to include cleanliness, roominess, amenities, food service, and staff service on the questionnaires. Ask for recommendations. And take note of any areas that are being repeated among guests.

Of course there are things your guests find annoying that you might not be aware of.  A simple Google search for Hotel Pet Peeves revealed this gem from Extravigator.  Perhaps you will find things there that are reflective of your establishment.

Make sure the services you offer align with the needs of your guests, and make sure you measure regularly the impact of your operations on your guests’ perceptions of your hotel. Reputation is a difficult thing to win, and nearly impossible to repair.

Flickr photo credit: tedmurphy